The rise of large pickups and SUVs has contributed to a sharp increase in pedestrian deaths in the United States, according to a New York Times report.

Citing an analysis of federal and industry records, including vehicle-dimension data that had not previously been examined, the report found that pedestrian fatalities have risen about 75% since 2009, when the number of larger vehicles such as compact SUVs surpassed cars, reversing decades of gains in roadway safety.

The reason: hood height and bulkier frames.

The taller hoods and larger dimensions of many pickups and SUVs can make crashes more deadly while also reducing drivers' ability to see pedestrians.

The Times estimated that about 200 to 400 pedestrian deaths each year could have been prevented if vehicles had remained roughly the same size they were 25 years ago. That accounts for about 10% of the increase in pedestrian fatalities in recent years.

"We see a lot of devastating collisions even at lower speeds because the pedestrian gets punted forward," said Shawn Harrington, whose company, Forensic Rock, conducted crash tests for the Times.

"Before the driver knows what's happened, the pedestrian's head is under the wheel."

The Times used a three-dimensional scanner to compare sightlines in four of today's most common pickups — the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra and Toyota Tacoma — with comparable models from the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Silverado's blind zones have nearly doubled, while the Sierra's and Tacoma's grew by about 60%. The F-150 had the smallest increase, with its blind zones growing by about 25%.

Mike Levine, a spokesman for Ford, told the Times that vehicle safety is "critical" but "blaming larger vehicles for pedestrian deaths overlooks systemic issues."

Bill Grotz, a spokesman for General Motors, said new technology designed to detect and avoid pedestrians will improve safety.

Federal safety regulators are increasingly looking to automated crash-avoidance technologies to reduce pedestrian deaths. Sean Rushton, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the systems are already helping prevent crashes and could play a central role in future efforts to improve road safety.

"These technologies are actively reducing the occurrence of these crashes and fundamentally shifting the risk landscape," Rushton said. "We view these technologies as the cornerstone of future mitigation strategies."